Sunsets and the Stars // Johnny x Ponyboy

Chapter Thirty Nine // Pull The Plug

Johnny's POV

It had been two weeks since we heard the news about Ponyboy. It had been two weeks since we found out he was in a coma.

Things weren't really looking up for him.

We were all sitting around Ponyboy, maybe a week since we found out he was in a coma. I visited him everyday, but usually I was alone.

Today, the whole gang was here. We were all told to come.

The doctor walked into the room. His face was blank. I already knew that what he was going to say was bad.

"Hello, boys," he began. Some of us waved, some of us nodded. I stayed completely still, holding my breathe.

"What's going on?" asked Darry. He was here often, too. I think he visited more than Soda. Soda couldn't handle the pain of his dying little brother.

"We ran some tests, and it's really unlikely that Ponyboy is going to wake up.." he said, trailing off. I felt the tears coming.

"What do you mean he's not going to wake up?" I shrieked all of a sudden. I knew he was dying, but it still hurt.

The doctor's eyes went wide when he hears my tone of voice. I think he was scared that I was about to have a break down.

"It's alright, Johnny. It's alright," said Steve, patting my back. He was crying too. I hated to admit it, but Steve was the only one who knew what if felt to be with Pony romantically, and then loose him.

I turned to Ponyboy's still body, and placed a kiss on his forehead.

"I'll come back later, my love," I whispered.

I then stormed out of the door.

-

That event was about a week ago, and nothing had changed. Ponyboy was still hooked up to weird machines, trying to keep him alive. He never moved, and he never spoke. It was like he was dead to the outside world, but was alive internally.

I was sitting on Pony's bed at his house, grieving. I knew that there wasn't much time left. I could feel it.

I got up, struggling to get across the room. I walked over to his closet. There were his clothes.

I took one of Pony's hoodies. It smelled like him. I held it close to my chest.

I missed him.

Something suddenly occurred to me.

If Ponyboy died, we would have to clean out his room. We would have to go through all of his belongings, everything that helped make him who he was.

Cleaning Ponyboy's room would be a lot to take in. I could imagine it now; I would have to go through all the books that he had read to me, all of his writing, all of his clothes that he wore around me, our pictures together, and everything else.

I gulped. There was a lump in my throat. I didn't even notice that I was crying till now. Everything was falling apart.

The bedroom door opened. I looked to see who it was.

It was Steve.

I wanted to be mad, but I couldn't. He didn't do anything wrong.

"Hey, Johnny," he whispered. I nodded my head, acknowledging his existence.

"I can leave if you want. I just wanted to be in his room," he mumbled. I shook my head. He raised his eyebrows.

"No, stay. He meant a lot to you, too," I said. Steve nodded his head, and then sat on the bed.

I sat down next to him. There was silence.

"Are you and Ponyboy dating?" he asked out of no where. I forgot that I didn't tell him, and I assumed that the other guys didn't either because they knew it was a sensitive topic.

"Yeah, we are. I'm sorry," I stated, looking down. He stopped breathing for a few seconds.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. He always loved you more over me," he replied. I sighed.

"Still. I feel bad. You made all this effort to even get him to look at you, yet I was running off with a girl I didn't even like," I mumbled. Steve looked at the floor.

"I just want him to be happy, even if it is without me," he stated through tears.

I didn't get the chance to say anything.

Steve walked out of the door.

-

The whole gang was in the dining room having dinner. Lately, we've been doing everything together. I guess it was because we didn't want to be alone with everything going on.

I looked at Soda, who was looking at the boy he loved across the table. I wished that he told him he loved him, because I felt like everyone was running out of time. I sighed.

Soda and him would be really good together. It was a shame that Soda wouldn't admit it.

I looked back down at my food. It was chicken with peas and carrots. I hadn't really eaten much. I was too nervous about Pony, but I was also too scared to go home. My dad would beat me.

I pushed those thoughts out of my head when I heard Darry clear his throat. I looked up at him, he was standing.

"As you all know, Pony's in a coma," he began. He was struggling.

"I got a call today from the hospital," he stated. He gulped.

"What did they say?" yelled Two Bit. His eyes looked hopeful.

"They said that he's not going to wake up. They're gonna take him off of life support tonight," he whispered.

Suddenly, Darry crumbled to the ground. He put his face in his hands, and began to sob.

He reached his breaking point.

-

We were a few seconds to walking into Pony's hospital room. We wanted to be there when he took his last breathe.

I had a bouquet of tulips in my right hand. I wanted to say good bye the right way.

We all stepped into the room.

There laid Ponyboy, oblivious to the fact that he was about to die. His face looked so innocent. He was too young to die.

The doctor told us that we could all say our goodbye's, and then we could pull the plug.

Everyone said what they had to. I paid no attention. I just wanted to cry.

Finally, it was my turn. I put the tulips on his chest, and positioned his hands so he was holding them.

"I'll see you in the next life. I love you, my dearest," I whispered in his ear.

I bent down to kiss his lips one more time.

His lips were still soft.

I felt something grab my hand.